Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-24
Eggs for Matching.
Western FaucierS Review

1t Is now time to use great care IL
gathering the eggs from your mated
pens. They should be gathered two OF
three times day to avoid chilling.
In selecting them for incubation or fol
shipping to your customers, take such
as are of uniform shape as possible, fo1
they are by far the best. We have at
times received, great, unshapely eggs in
settings shipped to Us, and quite oft en-
they came from our best breeders too.
Almost always, such eggs have proven
to be unfertile, contained ill-shapGd
chicks, or the half formed chick would die
in the shell. And our experience has
taught US, that even when we have sue
ceededed in raising few to maturity,
they have most usually proven culls,
hence it is best to take these ill-shaped
eggs and eat, or sell them on the market
while we can get the good of them, and
where they will not prove source of in
jury to anyone.
There is great difference of opinion as
TO the best method of taking care of
them. Some claim that they should be
turned once each day, while others be-
lieve that the less they are handled the
better.
One of the best means employed to
take care of those intended for incuba-
ton at home, or for shipping, is to place
them in an egg cabinet, description of
which we will give as best we can, with
out the assistance of an artist.
Take four posts os 2x4 or lighter if
you desire, of about two or three feet in
length, and standing them upright about
eighteen inches apart for width, and two
or three feet for length. To these nail
thin strips at the side, thereby forming a
light frame. This done tack still lighter
strips ON the inside of posts for drawers
to rest upon. The distance apart these
drawers are to be, you can decide for
your own convenience. They are usually
made about six inches apart For draw
ers get wide boards of The proper width,
to slide into the places already prepared
for them. But instead of making reg
u'ar drawer just use these wide boards
for one. Get an inch auger and bore the
board full of holes about two or three inch
es apart and then ream out each hole so
that they will be perfectly smooth. Hav-
ing made all the drawers in this manner
your cabinet is complete. When placing
your eggs in the holes be sure and put
the large end down as the large air cell is
in that end and the weight of the egg rest
ing upon it causes evaporation to be much
less rapid, and thus holding the living
embryo in much better state Of preser-
vstion. Eggs when thus served need no
turning, in fact the more they are handled
the greater becomes the injury to the
germ within them. Eggs when received
by express or other carrier, should be al
lowed to remain from twelve to twenty
four hours in & rest, that they may ali
and regain their equilibrium, before put
ting under the hen or in the incubator.
A great mistake is often made in putting
them under the hen Immediately
on arrival for fear of delay.
For delay is really needful as has
been proven by experiment. Where two
setticgs were received at one time one
was placed under the hen Immediately
while the other suffered delay of one or
two days. The result was that from
those first set only one chick was Matched
and the remainder contained dead en-
bryos, while the delayed ones produced
for each egg, good healthy chick.